Triple barrel hair styling device

ABSTRACT

A triple-barrel head device  10  for styling hair using heated barrels comprises of a first head  12  having a single barrel  24  adjacent to two barrel-receiving gutters  26, 28 , and a second head  14  having two barrels  32, 34  aligned to be received in the gutters when the heads are closed together about a tuft of hair.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationSer. No. 60/764,592 filed on Feb. 2, 2006, incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to hair-styling devices and, moreparticularly, to heated irons having special shapes for specific stylingapplications.

2. Description of Related Art

Various known hair styling devices having heated plates exist indifferent forms. Typically, they have generally flat, opposed plates forstraightening, a single tube-shaped iron for curling, or a pair ofnon-flat, opposed surfaces for waves. It is desirable to provide acustom iron for more efficiently putting a wave or series of wave-likecurls in the hair.

OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the shortcomings ofthe prior art mentioned above. It is an object of the present inventionto provide a heated styling tool for applying to the hair and impartingwave-like styling effects. It is a further object to provide a stylingtool designed for ease of use, efficiency and safety. These and otherobjects are achieved by the present invention described herein.

The present invention achieves the above-mentioned objects by utilizinga triple-barrel head comprised of a first head having a single barreladjacent to two barrel-receiving gutters, and a second head having twobarrels aligned to be received in the gutters when the heads are closedtogether about a tuft of hair.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is more fully understood by reference to thefollowing detailed description of an illustrative embodiment with thedrawings identified below.

FIG. 1 is a top view of a styling device according to a preferredembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the device shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the device shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the device shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a side perspective view of the device shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of the device shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a partial side view of the device shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1-6, the present invention is directed to a stylingdevice 10 having a first head 12, a second head 14, a first handleportion 16, a second handle portion 18, a hinge connection 20, and alock assembly 22.

The first head 12 comprises a first barrel 24, a first gutter 26, and asecond gutter 28. The first handle 16 comprises a lock button 30. Thesecond head 14 comprises a second barrel 32 and a third barrel 34. Eachof the barrels is adapted to be selectively heated by heating means andcontrols of a conventional type (not shown). The first barrel 24 isaligned with a gap 36 existing between the second and third barrels 32,34 so that when the heads 12, 14 are closed together the first barrel 24nests between the second and third barrels 32, 34. Similarly, the secondand third barrels 32, 34 will nest in the first and second gutters 26,28 located on either side of the first barrel 24. The heated barrelsand/or the gutters may be made of metals, glass or ceramic, and may becoated with ceramics, porcelain, minerals or other performance-enhancingcoatings, including those that emit ions and infrared energy.

The hinge connection 20 is preferably spring-biased and is similar inconstruction to those conventionally known for flat irons. A lockingassembly 22 as shown comprises a slideable hook 38 on the first handle16 which is aligned with a loop 40 on the second handle 18 forselectively locking the handles in a closed position. The lock button 30is used to move the hook 38. Heat-insulated tips 44, 46,48 are providedat the ends of the barrels for safely handling while the barrels arehot.

In use, a user turns the device 10 on using an electrical switch of aconventional type (not shown) and adjusts the desired barrel temperatureusing a control dial 42. When the barrels are pre-heated, the userplaces a tuft of hair (not shown) between the heads 16, 18 and closesthe heads together. The tuft of hair is held in a position determined bythe contours of the three barrels and the gutters, so as to create awave-like effect.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been herein disclosedand described, it is understood that various modifications can be madewithout departing from the scope of the invention.

1. A hair-styling device comprising: a first head; a second head; afirst handle portion connected to said first head; a second handleportion connected to said second head; a hinge connection adapted toconnect said first handle portion to said second handle portion; and aheating element in said first head and said second head.
 2. Ahair-styling device according to claim 1, wherein said first headfurther comprises a first barrel, a first gutter and a second gutter;and said second head further comprises a second barrel and a thirdbarrel, wherein said second barrel and said third barrel nests withinsaid first gutter and said second gutter when said hair-styling deviceis closed.
 3. A hair-styling device according to claim 2, furthercomprising a gap between said second barrel and said third barreladapted to nest said first barrel between said second barrel and saidthird barrel when said device is closed.
 4. A hair-styling deviceaccording to claim 3, further comprising a locking assembly comprising aslideable hook on said first handle and a hook on said second handle forselectively locking said first and second handles in a closed position.5. A hair-styling device according to claim 4, further comprising a lockbutton adapted to move said hook to enable said locking assembly to beselectively locked and unlocked.
 6. A hair-styling device according toclaim 3, further comprising a control dial adapted to enable a user toselectively control the temperature of said first head and said secondhead.
 7. A hair-styling device according to claim 3, wherein said firsthead and/or said second head are adapted to emit ions.
 8. A hair-stylingdevice according to claim 3, wherein said first head and/or said secondhead are adapted to emit infrared energy.